Daily Archives: 22 June 2011

The protests and signature campaigns have borne fruit: BBC’s Hindi Service has been saved from closure.

British foreign secretary William Hague has announced an additional 2.2 million pounds for the BBC World Service over the next three years, which will enable continuation of the Hindi and Arabic services.

Hague’s statement confirms chairman of BBC Trust Lord Chris Patten‘s efforts to ensure the continuation of the Hindi Service, which, he told PTI last week, was a “very important service”, reports Prasun Sonwalkar.

In January this year, BBC had announced the closure of the Hindi service by March, but after much criticism it was given a year’s reprieve to explore an alternate model of funding to ensure its continued functioning.

PRABHU MALLIKARJUNAN entered the profession a month ago. In just his first month at work at a business newspaper in Hyderabad, he has calculated that he has received Rs 6,560 worth of gifts and freebies.

“Initially I thought it was OK to receive stationery (notepad, pen and pencil). But as days passed by, I started getting calendars, coffee mugs and pens. I thought this might be the ‘corporate culture’. Then came 2 GB pendrives, T-shirts and leather wallets…. On average, a business journalist can get over Rs 78,000 as uninformed incentive.”